No Shows are a No Go

This blog post was written by Peer Career Ambassador, Ji Hwan Kim ’18.

Let’s start out with a hypothetical situation: Your grandmother’s birthday is fast approaching and this year, you’ve volunteered to organize and plan a big party for her. You’ve taken care of every aspect of the party and you’ve worked diligently enough to meet all of the appropriate deadlines. You even went so far as to reach out to all of her closest friends and relatives to confirm their attendance. Today is her birthday and the day of the big party. All of the decorations are set up and your grandmother is ready to party, but there’s one problem… no one is showing up.

Take a minute to think about how you’d feel if no one showed up to a party that you worked so hard to plan. Now take another minute to think about how your grandmother would feel.

While this is certainly an extreme example, similar situations occur at CCD events (and other offices’ events) far too often. As a Babson student myself, I’m always disappointed when my peers register for things and fail to show up without warning.

Although registering for a CCD sponsored event is as easy as clicking a button, this is only possible due to the countless hours spent by CCD staff on planning and coordinating them. Often times, the various industry spotlights and corporate events held on-campus have to be planned months in advance as it requires the coordination of several parties. This year’s Finance Industry Spotlight, for example, involved sixteen different employers—each employer sending at least two representatives for the event. To put things into perspective, take a moment to think about how hard setting up a meeting with another Babson student is; now take a moment to think about how difficult it is to organize over 30 professionals in one spot at one time.

You may be thinking: “Well, it’s not a big problem. It’s only a couple students that do this, most students are respectful enough not to no-show without warning.”

As a Babson student, I hope this were true; however, the data we’ve collected from some of our past events show otherwise. Here are some of the “no-show” rates from our more popular events:

Retail and Consumer Product Industry Spotlight: 40%

Accounting Industry Spotlight: 19%

Finance Industry Spotlight: 14%

Consulting Industry Spotlight: 23%

Because attendance data is consistently tracked at each CCD event, it is important to understand that this information is not only available to CCD, but it is also available to the employers that co-host these events. Therefore, while these no-show rates may just appear to be another statistic, students should constantly keep in mind the effect of no-shows on their professional reputations and the reputation of the school. Often times, employers will consult attendance data to see which candidates have shown a consistent interest in its on-campus events and information sessions. Needless to say, no-showing for these events can only have a negative impact on a candidate’s profile.

Another negative effect that arises from no-shows is that it takes away opportunities from other students. Because space is often limited at CCD events, registering for a spot and not showing up without warning effectively deprives another student from attending. The worst part is that canceling your spot at an event is just as easy as signing up for one; it only takes one click!

To help students understand the importance of honoring commitments, UGCCD has created a new, condensed, code of conduct. When in doubt, refer to the new Code of Conduct to see if your actions are appropriate.

As the Code of Conduct says: “Unexpected, sometimes urgent situations arise, which are out of anyone’s control. If it’s impossible or uncomfortable to follow through on a commitment, let us know as soon as you can. Whether it be an appointment, interview, event, or accepted offer, we can help you weigh the pros and cons, brainstorm solutions and craft a strategy. Being late, unprepared, no-showing, or reneging is disrespectful to your peers and many others.” As always, students should understand that the Undergraduate CCD only has the students’ best interests in mind. We understand that sometimes, life happens. Just let us know!

More From Babson Blogs

Meet the Author

Peer Career Ambassadors are the student leaders of the Undergraduate Center for Career Development (CCD). The PCA’s act as the face of CCD and are trained to develop the skills and expertise needed to assist their peers with their career-related needs. They are an integral part of the CCD team and help build the CCD brand across campus.